IT 215 
D67 
.825 
)opy 1 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




0 020 517 330 4 # 



BT 215 
.D67 
1825 
Copy 1 



■^r 

SCRIP TUBAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL 



ASGUMENTS, 



TO PROVE 



THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST, 



AND 



THE NECESSITY 



OF 



BY SAMUEL DREW, 

&TJTHOR OE A TREATISE ON THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOTTX, &C7 



FIRST AMERICAN, EROM THE THIRD LONDON EDITION 



i 



TRENTOJY, NEW- JERSEY: 
PUBLISHED BY DANIEL FENTOK 



1825, 



FTi-T^TEB BT WJI, Ii TBE3T09, F» 31 



7 



ARGUMENTS, 

,&C. &C. 

John xiv. 6. 

i am the way, and the truth, and the life 5 hq 
man cometh unto the father but by me. 

If no revelation had ever been communicated to the 
human race, we might easily have known that all 
mankind must die i but we could not have known that 
death would be succeeded by a day of judgment. The 
fragility of the world on which we live ; the depart- 
ure of our friends, relations, and neighbours ; the pains 
of body which we feel ; the diseases incident to hu- 
man life $ and the accidents to which we are exposed, 
unite their evidence to convince us that death is the 
common lot of all. 

We might also, in case of such an event, have gath- 
ered strong intimations that our souls are immortal ; 
for we certainly have less reason to believe that death 
will terminate our existence, than we have to conclude 
that it will only change the manner of our being* 
These intimations, in their combined effects, would 
iiave amounted to the highest degree of moral certain- 
ty, if not to a positive demonstration of the fact ; and 
would have directed us to infer an assurance of a fu- 
ture state. 

. To admit the human soul to be immortal, is to grant 
a state of consciousness beyond the grave 5 but wheth- 
er that consciousness would be associated with bliss 
or woe, it would not have been in our power to deter- 
mine, One of these must however have been our lot 



4 



Consciousness implies a susceptibility of Intellectual 
feeling : and we can have no conception of any feelings* 
unless they are either pleasant or painful ; and these* 
which embrace all possible modes of being, give birth 
and energy to our hopes and fears. 

It will hardly be denied, that an innate desire of 
Iiappiness is implanted in the human bosom. It existed 
in Paradise; it has survived the fall ; it will be re- 
newed by divine grace; and will flourish in eternity. 
It seems to have been incorporated with the essence, of 
our being ; and it is inseparable from human nature 
in every stage of its existence. 

But although a desire of obtaining happiness is a 
point in which mankind agree, they are not unani- 
mous in their opinions where it is to be found. In pur- 
suit of this object, our "aims are as various as the 
roads we take in journeying through life." Hence 

" Some place the bliss in action, some in ease, 
Those call it pleasure, and contentment these ;". 

while in the estimation of others, it is 

"Twin'd with the wreaths Parnassian laurels yield, 
Or reap 'd in iron harvest of the field." 

If we descend from abstract principle to practice, 
these truths will be corroborated by the general con- 
duct of mankind. The miser tells us that happiness 
consists in the accumulation of riches— -the drunkard 
in intoxication — and the debauchee in the gratification 
of those appetites which find indulgence in licentious 
pleasures. Contrasted with these characters, the chris- 
tian also appears before us; and, in common with all 
mankind, informs us that he is in pursuit of happiness 
which he steadfastly believes, is only to be found in 
an union with God. 

This variety of opinions, the existence of which no 
man can deny, together with the miseries which are 
in the world, clearly demonstrates that happiness it- 
self is 2iot essential. to human nature* Not being: es- 



a 

scntial, it must be derived ; and consequently, man is 
invariably dependent for all the happiness which he 
enjoys, upon that external object, cause or being, by 
which it is imparted. Hence it is of importance to 
enquire among these various candidates for happiness, 
which character presents the fairest claim. 

I will not avail myself of the argument which might 
be drawn from the alloy with which all sensual plea- 
sures are blended, nor of that which might be derived 
from the remorse with which a reflection on the past, 
and an anticipation of the future, are always embitter- 
ed. I will even grant that all men, in their various 
pursuits, are completely happy; and beyond this, no 
concession can possibly be expected. 

Now as happiness is not essential to man, it is de- 
monstrable that he can no longer live in the enjoyment 
of it, than while he continues in union with that object 
from which it is derived. Hence it is but fair, that we 
should ascertain the nature of that object on which we 
are dependent, and the permanency of the various ten 
ures, on which our present enjoyments and future pros, 
pects rest. 

If happiness be exclusively sought and found in any 
created object, it is obvious that when death shall close 
our eyes in darkness, we must be separated from the 
source of our felicity : and whenever this takes place, 
the destruction of happiness is the inevitable conse- 
quence. But if on the contrary, we seek for happiness, 
and find it in an object that can neither expire nor 
change ; if we find it in some object or being that per- 
vades both time and eternity, no separation can possi- 
bly take place ; and consequently, this happiness must 
continue for ever. It is therefore unquestionable, that 
all the felicity which the w r erld can impart, is held ou 
the precarious tenure of a single life, beyond which it 
cannot possibly extend. While on the contrary, the 



christian, who seeks happiness in God, not only enjoys 
his presence here, but he has the fee-simple of felicity, 
in rich reversion in eternity. This therefore must be 
the character which presents the fairest claim to that 
happiness, which all desire and which all pursue. 

But if happiness can only be found in an union with 
God, some qualification for its enjoyment must be ob- 
tained, because a soul departing the present life with 
all its passions unsubdued, must necessarily be unfit for 
glory. Now where there is no qualification, there can be 
no enjoyment ; and where there is no enjoyment, there 
can be no felicity. If therefore such a spirit could be 
admitted into heaven, it would be compelled to associ- 
ate with beings whose society could afford no pleasure, 
to behold glories which it had no appetite to relish, and 
to be tormented with passions which heaven could not 
Indulge, and consequently it must be miserable. Hence, 

" The mind is its own place, and of itself 
Can. make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven." 

It is demonstrable therefore, that an unholy spirit 
sinks into misery, not merely by a judicial stroke of 
heaven, but through an inevitable necessity implanted 
in the nature of things. From these considerations we 
may perceive the propriety of our Lord's observation, 
in that memorable conversation which he had with 
Nicodemus — " Except a man be born again, he can- 
not see the kingdom of God." A qualification for glory 
is necessary to the enjoyment of its felicities, and this 
can only be obtained through an union with the genuine 
source of all good. 

But while it is asserted that the christian only can 
secure lasting happiness, because he alone seeks and 
finds it in a communion with God, — it may be asked — « 
**How shall this union be obtained? Can God be ac- 
cessible to mortals, who by sinning against him, have 
forfeited his favour and lost his image?" To this ques- 



Hon natural religion can give no satisfactory reply, 
Here the light of reason ends: hut happily for us, the 
sun of revelation begins to shine, where the torch of 
reason expires ; and the words of Christ to Thomas* 
« X am the way, and the truth, and the life ; no man 
cometh unto the Father hut by me," are admirably 
calculated to solve the important difficulty. 

It cannot be denied that the character which Christ 
thus assumes, and the station which he pretends to fil! ? 
are of the utmost importance* He appears before us in 
the character of a mediator, or as a medium of union 
between God and man. And it is obvious, if his words 
have any truth or meaning, that our eternal happiness 
depends upon him. We are therefore urged both by 
duty and interest, to investigate his pretensions »vith 
the most rigorous scrutiny ; and directed, as the result 
shall determine, either to reject him as an imposter, or 
to embrace him as the Saviour of mankind. 

That there was such a person as Jesus Christ, few 
I presume will be inclined to doubt. The writers of 
profane, as w ell as of sacred history have recorded his 
name, and commemoratea ins actions. The Jews, his 
most inveterate enemies, admitted both; although they 
attributed the extraordinary works which he perform- # 
ed, to the influence of infernal agency. And, among 
the infidels of modern days, even Thomas Paine does 
not question his existence. He calls him a virtuous 
revolutionist, who lost his life between the jarring in- 
terests of contending factions. 

I have never yet met with but one, who denied his 
existence. This is Volney in his Ruins of Empires. 
This disciple of Voltaire asserts, that his name is de- 
rived from some of the obsolete terms which were in use 
in the ancient systems of astronomy, and that his vota- 
rieshave strangely transferred itfrom the constellations 
of the ancients to the imaginary person of Christ. To 
mention such monstrous opinions is to refute them, 



i 



In tracing the personal history of Jesus Christ, wt 
find in him a peculiar complication of character. In 
some places he appears before us as a man, both in name 
and actions. He called himself the son of man. Matt. 
$iiU 20. Luke ix. 58. and St. Paul says there is one God 
and one mediator between God and man, the man 
Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. ii. 5. Many other passages might 
be found of nearly the same import, from which we may 
learn, that he was truly man; and that he was consid- 
ered in this light by those who were personally ac- 
quainted with him, while he sojourneyed among man- 
kind, it is useless to prove. 

Nor will the evidence be less striking, if we turn 
from the language of inspiration to those descriptions 
which are given of his life, transactions, and death. 
It is not to be disputed that he hungered, thirsted, wept, 
bled, groaned, and died. These are marks of human 
nature, and they prove its frailty beyond the possibili- 
ty of successful contradiction. Hence it is evident 
both from the language of scripture, and from the 

events which it records respecting Christ, that he was 
really man. 

But when from these detached views, we proceed to 
contemplate other branches of his character, he rises 
in our estimation, and the frailties which are incident 
to human nature wholly disappear. If we view the 
actions which he performed during the period of his 
public ministry, we must confirm his own declaration, 
that he i6 did works which no other man did," and 
hence, for (e his very works' sake" (John xiv.) we 
must believe him to be superior to the most exalted of 
the human race. 

It may perhaps be objected, that miracles of the 
greatest magnitude were performed by men, who ney- 
er pretended to any thing more than a human charac- 
ter with a commission from above : namely, by the 



9 



prophets before the days of Christ, and by his succes 
sors after his crucifixion. I grant the fact. Bat be- 
fore we can draw any just conclusion from it, we must 
consider the circumstances under which all these mira- 
cles were accomplished. The prophets and the apos- 
tles performed their miracles through a power which 
they uniformly confessed was not their own. It was 
a power derived from God. They were only instru- 
ments in his hands, not agents. They invariably ac- 
knowledged their dependence upon him, and were 
faithful in the discharge of their respective du- 
ties. His power on the contrary he declared was in- 
herent; it was in himself. It was not derived. It 
was independent and essential to his nature. Christ 
was, therefore, either a great imposter, or his preten- 
sions to that exalted character which he assumed, 
were real, and consequently, he was the Christ, the 
Son of God. 

1. If we appeal to the language of Scripture, the 
character of Jesus appears divine. St. John says, 
"In the beginning was the word." The grammatical 
construction of this passage evidently imports that 
this Word was in existence, at the beginning. He does 
not say that his existence commenced at the beginning, 
but that in the beginning he xuas. The imperfect tense 
of the verb " To Be" which is here used, evidently 

totes Lis existence antecedently to the beginning; 
and, if. a comprehensive expression like this before us, 
ve cannot conceive how the antecedent existence of 
Deity could be more fully expressed, if the apostle 
had directed our views to the eternity of God. 

2. It is of little consequence where we fix the pe~ 
iod of the beginning; because the proposition ex- 
presses an universal affirmative, which necessarily in- 
ludes all. If we fix it at the creation of man^this 
Word then was : if we fix it at the commencement o£ 



10 



finny tins Word then %vas: and if we carry back our 
views to the -commencement of angelic existence, the 
same conclusion will hold good ; for in either case, 
s< In the beginning was the Word." Now that which 
was in existence at the beginning, existed antecedently 
to the beginning; and that which existed antecedently 
to the beginning, must have been without a beginning - T 
and that which was without a beginning must be eter- 
sial f— and a being who* is eternal must be God. 

3. The same apostle adds, 66 The Word was with 
God. 5 ' These words when taken in their connexion 
with what precedes and follows, can have no meaning 
unless we admit that he was with him in essence ; for 
without this we must admit two distinct essences ; and 
two distinct essences will constitute a plurality of ne 
cessarily existent beings, which is absolutely impossi- 
ble. To admit a plurality, is to admit that all be- 
sides one arc unnecessary, because one must contain 
every possible perfection. Now that being whose ex- ( 
istence is unnecessary, cannot exist necessarily, and 
that which does not exist necessarily, cannot thus be 
with God. If, therefore, the Word was with God, the 
Word must have been with him either in essence, hi 
eternity, in council, or in nature : and that person who 
lias co-existed with Deity and eternity in any way 
whatever, must be God, 

4. It may perhaps be objected, that "To be with 
God, will not infer a sameness of nature, because an- 
gels exist with God, without being divine." That 
angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, are 
with God in a subordinate sense, is not to be doubted. 
But this will not reach the comprehensive import of 
(he expression before us. We must not forget that 
this Word who was with God, was in existence antece- 
dently to the beginning. It therefore follows, that 
lie was with God before any commencement of exist- 



11 



aence ; and consequently lie was with God in eternity, 
Now no person can be with God in eternity, or before 
all commencement of existence, without partaking of 
the divine essence, and he who is with God in essence 
must be God. 

5. This is a conclusion which perfectly coincides 
with the next expression, for the same apostle £urther= 
more informs us, not only that the Word was in the 
beginning, and was with God, but that the Word actu- 
ally "was ■God." No words can be more expresshe 
than those before us. No comment can render them 
more evident. Now be who " was God," must have 
some attribute of God, and he who has one attribute, 
must have every attribute, because the divine attributes 
are incapable of a separation. He also who was Godj, 
still is God, and must continue God for ever ; because 
the divine nature is incapable of a transfer or of a ter- 
mination. 

6. Hence we may likewise infer the absurdity of sup- 
posing this Word to fee God by delegation. This 
supposition carries with it its own refutation. A God 
by delegation must have eternally possessed all his 
attributes, in order to be God and yet these attributes 
must have been acquired, otherwise he could not have 
been what he is by delegation. But these modes of 
divinity are inconsistent with each other, because om- 
nipotence and eternity are incapable of being possess 
ed by delegation. Nor can we conceive the fact to be 
possible, unless we strangely imagine God to have 
created a being that never bad a beginning, and then 
the supposition will involve a contradiction, 

7. That the appellative term " Word," to whom the 
divine perfections are here ascribed, belongs exclusive- 
ly to Jesus Christ, the same apostle affords us the 
most satisfactory information. Hence he says in verse 
41th, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among 



12 



us, am! wc beheld his glory; the glory as of the a\uy 
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." In 
this expression, we behold the commencement of the 
human nature of Jesus Christ, and of its union with 
the divine, when he became incarnate, by the assump- 
tion of it. Christ therefore, is the only being in earth 
or heaven, to whom this peculiar character can possi- 
bly apply. 

8. It must not, however, be forgotton, that the. apos 
tie had ascribed to him previous existence, eternity, 
and divinity, long before he thus speaks of his incar- 
nation. And it is demonstrable that the Word could 
not possibly have been made licsh, if he had not pre- 
viously existed. And consequently, whether we grant 
his assumption of flesh, to present us with a new modi- 
fication of his being, or strangely conceive it to imply 
a transformation of essence, still we must admit his 
existence, as the Word, antecedently to his being made 
ilesh, and dwelling among mankind. And this antece- 
dent existence will afford us another argument in fa- 
vour of his divinity. 

9- But although St. John thus evidently means 
Jesus Christ, he has, when asserting his divinity* 
omitted to call him the Son of God, for very obvious 
reasons. The term son, includes a relative idea, which 
implies priority of existence in the father, and snbsc- 
quency of existence in the son. He who is a father 
must as a father necessarily be older than his son. 
Nor will it obviate the difficulty, to assert that there 
may be a prc-existence in the order of nature, while 
there is a co-existence in point of duration. For no 
being can be eternal, who admits the pre-existence of 
another, either in the order of nature, or in point of 
duration It therefore does not appear that any being, 
who is a son, can, as a son, be eternal. The term son, 
as applied to Jesus Christ* comprehends his incarna 



13 



lion ; but, according to our present conceptions, it 
cannot comprehend his divinity. Nor do I recollect 
a single expression throughout any part of the Bible, 
in which the term son is applied to Jesus Christ, un- 
less it has reference to his incarnate state. He who 

• is God must he eternal : and he who is eternal can 
have nothing antecedent to him. The term son, ac- 
according to the relative ideas which we attach to it, 
seems, therefore, totally inapplicable to Christ, when 
we speak of his divinity. 

10. To obviate objections which would naturally 
arise from the denomination of son, St. John calls him 
the Word. This is an appellation which has no rela- 
tion either to priority or subsequency of existence ; 
neither does it preclude co-existence — co-eternity-— or 
co-essentiality. The prophet Isaiah has introduced 
his divine character in language >vhich, also, corres- 
ponds with it. He calls -him Immanuel, Wonderful, 
Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, 
the Prince of Peace. Isa. ix. G. All these terms are 
perfectly coincident with his divinity, and are wholly 
exempted from the objections to which those must ne- 
cessarily be liable, which arc merely relative. 

11. It is not to be disputed, that the world had actu- 
ally existed more than four thousand years, before 
Christ, whom St. John calls "The Word," became 
incarnate. But it is demonstrable that he must have 
existed antecedently to that period, because the same 
apostle says, " All things were made by him." Now 
if all things were made by him, then he was not only 
pre-existent, but he must have existed without being 
made, and he who exists without being made, must ne- 

* • cessarily have an original existence ; and consequently 

he must be eternal, and must therefore be God. 

12. If the Word were created or made, and (( all 
things were made by him*" then he must have made 



14 



himself; and if he did so, lie must have acted before 
he existed, which is absolutely impossible, because it 
involves a plain contradiction. But on the same 
ground on which a contradiction cannot be admitted, 
the evidence is decisive that he must be eternal ; and 
lie who is eternal must be God. 

13. The same apostle adds, i( without him was not 
anything made that was made." This gives an ad- 
ditional confirmation to the proceeding proposition. 
Every being or thing that exists, must either have 
been made, or must exist without being made. But since 
creation is exclusively and positively ascribed to the 
power of the Word, the Word must have existed antece- 
dently to all creation. He must therefore have an uncre- 
ated existence; and no Being can thus exist but God. 

14. Nor can we reasonably, or consistently with 
truth, confine the creative power which is thus ascribed 
to Christ, to the creation of the world which we in- 
habit, or to ali its appendages and inhabitants. The 
language of St. Paul forbids such a conclusion. He 
says, " By him were all things created that are in hea- 
ven, and that are in earth* visible and invisible ; wheth- 
er they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or 
powers ; all things were created by him, and for him : 
and he is before all things, and by him all things con- 
sist. Col. i. 16, 17. Language so plain may bid de - 
fiance to sophistry. These expressions encircle both 
earth and heaven in their vast embrace; and include 
creation in all its possible modes, varieties, and periods. 

15. He is said to be " before all things." Now he 
who is before all things, is not a thing ; for if he were, 
lie could not be (S before all things," unless he were be- 
fore himself, which cannot possibly be. He therefore 
who is not a thing, is not a creature ; and he who ex- 
ists, and is not a creature, must be the creator ; and 
lie who is the creator must necessarily be God. 



15 



16. St. Paul says,, " He who built all things is Goes, 5 - 
fHeb. iii. 4.) and the same apostle joins with St. John 
in asserting that " all things were made by Christ.'' 9 
(Col. i. 18. John i. 4. Now if he who made all thing- 
is Cod, and all things were made by Christ, it follows 
as an inevitable consequence* that Christ is God. The. 
argument is purely syllogistic. The premises are plain 
scripture, and the conclusion is irresistible. He who 
made all things is God, but Christ made all things, 
therefore Christ is God, 

It would be exceedingly easy, were it any way ne- 
cessary to produce additional arguments, to corrobo- 
rate the truth of the doctrine already advanced. But 
those which have been adduced, must be sufficient t«s 
convince every unprejudiced mind, that Jesus Christ 
was really God ; and such as are determined to perse- 
vere in error, will be proof against every argument 
that may be iu'ged 0 

"We have now ascertained both from scripture testi- 
mony, and from rational argument, that Christ was 
human, and also that he was divine. We have like- 
wise seen, although (< the Word was made flesh am! 
dwelt among us, ?9 that his incarnation was subsequent 
to his existence ; — that he existed antecedently to all 
beginning $ and consequently, that he is God over all? 
blessed for ever. On uniting these two branches o3 
his character together, we may also perceive, not only 
thai peculiar glory which resulted from the union which 
the apostle describes, but the reason why it was inap- 
plicable to any beside himself. 

It is remarkable, that St. John when describing his 
glory, designates it by a peculiar name. It was no! 
the glory of God, because it was not on all occasions 
sufficiently brilliant. It was not the glory of man, 
because in many instances it was too sublime,— it was, 
too exalted* In this transfiguration* the particulars 



16 



of which arc recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 
and adverted to by Peter, in his first epistle, human 
nature seems to be exalted above its intrinsic essence, 
and even to be sublimated into a spiritual, an immortal, 
and a glorified state. But in the sufferings and death of 
Jesus, the divine nature, on the contrary, appears to 
have undergone an eclipse, and to have been overshad- 
do wed by the infirmities inseparable from mortality. 

If we combine the whole in one comprehensive aggre- 
gate, we perceive the divine nature descending until 
its otherwise unsufferable glory was rendered visible, 
by the exaltation of human nature, which became glo- 
rious by tempering its sacred rays. Hence St. John 
does not tell us that it was the glory of man ; because 
it was too sublime. Neither does he say, that the glory 
which they beheld, was the glory of God,* because it 
was too much shaded. On the contrary, it was the 
glory of both united. It was a glory peculiar to Christ 
in his mediatorial character. It was 66 the glory as of 
the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth." 
It was a peculiar glory, which nothing either in earth 
or heaven can possibly resemble. 

This great and glorious personage, to whose character 
our views have been directed, we are furthermore told, 
is *< the way, the truth and the life." In each of these 
respects he may be contemplated in many lights. We 
are personally interested in all. Bat the order of the 
propositions directs us first to consider Christ as the 
way unto the father, and to eternal glory. 

i. If we survey his gospel, it presents to us a glo- 
rious plan of salvation, such as no human ingenuity 
could either discover or devise. It had indeed, been 
gradually unfolding through the patriarchal and pro- 
phetic ages: but the Hie and, immortality which the 
gospel brought fully to light, were only seen as through 
a glass dark! v. Nevertheless, even under these oft*- 



17 



scure dispensations, the light which it imparted, wa.$ 
much superior to that which guided the philosophers 
and ethical writers of the heathen world, who were 
without its influence, as the brilliancy of the moon, 
when shining in all her splendor, is to the dim twink- 
ling of a star. In the mean while, it was, in a man- 
ner, hidden from the wise and prudent, and couched un- 
der ceremonies, types, and shadows, which were bet- 
ter calculated to raise expectation than to gratify it. 
All these things had a future aspect; and they direct 
ed the believers of those days, to anticipate a bright- 
er dispensation, and a more refulgent light. When, 
therefore, the deliverer came out of Zion, to turn away 
ungodliness from Jacob — when Christ made his per- 
sonal appearance, and developed more fully the plan 
of redemption and of salvation in his gospel ; — \i 
might be said — that the sun of righteousness arose 
with healing under his wings, to enlighten, to enliven, 
and to fertilize tiie moral world. Through this gos^ 
pel he has shown us the way to happiness and God. 

2. If we turn from the plan of salvation, which is 
unfolded in the gospel, to the various doctrines which 
it contains, we shall discover additional reason to con- 
clude that Christ is the way to heaven. The gospel, 
from first to last, is a dispensation of mercy. It origi- 
nated in the bosom of the deity ; and in its sacred in- 
fluences it is thus manifested to mankind. It declares 
man to be a guilty creature, under sentence of condem- 
nation by the law, by the deeds of which it is impossi- 
ble that he can be justified ; and yet it offers pardon to 
the penitent, and points out the rational grounds on 
which God, consistently with his attributes, can recon- 
cile sinners unto himself. These doctrines declare, that 
repentance, faith, and holiness, although by no means 
meritorious, are essentially necessary to salvation | 
#nn" that they must be wrought in the soul by super? 



18 



natural agency, the source of A'hich they clearly un- 
fold. They teach us to exercise the grace which is 
given, and to be co-workers together with God, that 
we may be qualified for the enjoyment of that felicity 
which is solely his gift through Jesus Christ our Lord, 
3. Nor can we contemplate the precepts of the gos- 
pel, which seem to be interwoven with the constitution 
of its doctrines, without being led to the same conclu- 
sion, that Christ is the way. The law is holy, just, 
and good. Its principles are founded on immutable 
equity, and all its branches partake of its sacred na- 
ture. And although sin, by dchacing our moral pow- 
ers, and by exposing us to its condemnation, has taught 
us to view it with aversion, yet even the most depraved, 
yield at times an internal homage to it ; and, by shrink- 
ing from its terrors, acknowledge its purity and its 
powers. Obedience to the precepts of the gospel, is 
closely connected with that faith from which it springs. 
Faith, genuine faith alone, unites the soul to Christ ; 
but no faith can be genuine that does not produce obe- 
dence. For as no tree can be good which produces 
bad fruit, so no faith can be evangelical, which leads 
not to holiness of heart and life. It is only from an 
internal principle of grace, that practical godliness 
can flow. The former is the root, the latter is the 
branch. And as in philosophical disquisitions, the 
cause can in general only be known by the effects which 
result from it, so, in genuine religion, the outward 
fruits demonstrate the nature of that source from whence 
they spring. But since man, being wholly dead in a 
spiritual sense, cannot quicken his own soul, the agen- 
cy of all good must be ascribed to the efficacy of di- 
vine grace* Hence, all must be finally resolved into 
the love and compassion of God through Jesus Christ. 

4. But Christ is also the way, through the provision 
which he has made for lost mankind. The love of 



19 



God is the moving cause of all; and this love has pro- 
vided the means through which we may escape the 
punishment due to our* offences, notwithstanding we 
are sinners. Hence, when we were without strength* 
Christ died for us. Through Christ we are furnished 
with the means, the motives, and the power to turn 
unto God ; and we are provided with an assurance, that 
those who come to him he will in no wise cast out. 
He has provided for our pardon, for our acceptance, 
for our renovation, and for our eternal glory. 

5, But Christ Is not merely the way, through the 
plan of the gospel, through his doctrine, and precepts, 
and through the rich provison which he has made for 
returning sinners; he is still more emphatically the 
way through his atoning sacrifice. For when man had 
sinned, an expiation hecame necessary ; and this ex- 
piation, the principles and necessity of which I will en- 
deavour briefly to unfold, has been fully made, by the 
death, of Christ. 

When God created man, he created him with a mo- 
ral nature. This nature was essentially necessary to 
that station which he designed us to fill in the empire 
of existence. And to ask, why this moral nature was 
imparted, is only to ask, why God had not placed us 
among the animal or vegatable tribes, or reduced us to 
the condition of inanimate matter. A moral nature 
implies a moral law ; and a moral law must be charged 
with precepts, and guarded with penal sanctions. A 
moral law is therefore a necessary consequence of a 
moral nature, without which, man would be no longer 
man ; and its precepts and penalties are a necessary 
consequence of its existence. 

But as this law proceeded from God, it must have, 
originated in the principles of eternal justice; and be- 
ing, therefore, guarded with penal sanctions, justice 
was bound to execute, what wisdom and justice hml 



previously established, promised, or denounced. For 
the same principle of equity, which insured to the 
righteous their promised reward, enforced the penalty 
upon all offenders. Hence, when man had transgress- 
ed the commands of God, divine justice had a claim 
upon linn as a culprit. 

Man, having offended God, and thus rendered him- 
self obnoxious to punishment, could only hope for sal- 
vation lis rough mere mercy ; but how mercy could be ex- 
tended towards him, while the claims of justice remain- 
ed unsatisfied, involves an important question which 
makes way for the necessity of redemption. If justice- 
had been an arbitrary principle with God, which he 
could repeal, abrogate, or divest himself of at plea- 
sure, through any prerogative of omnipotence, w e can 
easily conceive how mercy might be extended to the 
criminal, without any expiation of his offence. But 
this is not the case. Justice is as essential to deity as 
omnipotence, omnipresence, intelligence, or wisdom £ 
and consequently, it never can be separated from his 
nature. 

If God were to bestow eternal salvation upon sin- 
uers, through mere mercy, without an expiation of 
their offences, it w ould not be sufficient that the claims 
of his justice were merely suspended ; they must be set 
aside. Suspension implies cessation only for a limit- 
ed period; and the term imports, that justice on some 
Mure occasion will re- assert its claims. But this fu- 
ture exaction of its demands must be totally impossi- 
ble, because it is utterly inconsistent with that eternal 
salvation which God is presumed already to have be- 
stowed. If therefore, the claims of justice must be 
more than suspended, where an expiation is excluded, 
and no punishment is inflicted, they must be wholly 
cancelled through' the influence of power. But how 
power can possibly cancel the claims of justice, and 



21 



thus alter its nature, those who deny the necessity of 
an atonement arc bound to determine. 

It may, perhaps, be asserted, that, "although infinite 
power cannot cancel right, or change the nature of jus- 
tice, it may eternally suspend the execution of its 
threatnings, and the exaction of its penalties." But 
this is a proposition which will require proof. An 
eternal suspension, is a solecism in language. A threat- 
ning which is eternally suspended, never can he exe- 
cuted. If, therefore, infinite power can command this 
eternal suspension, it must eternally baffle the claims 
of justice. But how an infinitely perfect being can ex- 
ercise one essential attribute of his nature, to baffle, the 
claims of another, without involving himself in incon- 
sistencies ; or how he can place power in opposition 
to justice, without becoming unjust we must not expect 
to know, until we can perceive how authority can 
change the nature of right. But since this appears to 
be utterly impossible, we ill us t conclude, that whenever 
eternal salvation, without an atonement, is bestowed by 
him on an offending being, on whom his justice has a 
claim, its claims must not only be suspended, they 
must be wholly set aside ; and set aside by the power 
of him, to whose nature justice is essential. How this 
can be passible, I must leave fo;* others to discover. 

Let us now suppose that God, in order to shew mercy 
without an atonement, should wholly set aside the 
claims of justice. As this must be an act that is in 
direct opposition to justice, it must be an unjust act^ 
and consequently, God, in order to do it, must divest 
himself of justice itself, During this interval, how 
long or short soever it may be, he must be a God with- 
out justice. Now a God without justice is a God un-s 
just ; and a Gad unjust, is not a necessarily perfect be- 
ing; and he who is not a necessarily perfect beings 
is not God. He who can divest himself of justice fox 



22 



one hour, can divest himself of it (luring a day— a week 
—a month— a year — a century — and forever. But since 
justice cannot possibly be separated from the nature 
of God, its claims must first be satisfied before mercy 
can be permitted to operate effectually in behalf of the 
criminal. 

How then shall justice and mercy be reconciled to- 
gether ? This is a question which nothing but redemp- 
tion can solve. As the law was given to human nature 
in its purity, from which its precepts required a fulfil- 
ment ; so, when this nature transgressed, it was on 
human nature that justice had a claim, and from hu- 
man nature that it demanded satisfaction* Hence,, 
when Christ undertook our cause, he assumed the of- 
fending nature ; and, in behalf of man, magnified the 
law and made it honourable, while he fulfilled all right- 
eousness. It was in this nature that he offered him- 
self as our substitute, and became obedient unto death, 
even the death of the cross.* It was on this cross 
that lie bore our sins and carried our sorrows 5 that 
lie was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised 
for our iniquities ; that the chastisement of our peace 
was laid upon him, that through his stripes we might 
be healed. It was thus that he was made sin for us 
who knew no sin, that we might be made the right- 
eousness of God in him. 

Nor were his sufferings merely voluntary; they 
were penal also. It was the cause of man which he 
undertook ; and the Lord hath laid on him the ini- 
quity of us all. To accomplish this amazing work., 
r.o finite being could be fully qualified. A finite be- 
ing can perform only a finite work, but Jesus, who 
"heaved the mountain from a sinking world," com- 
prised in his own personal life and death, those suf- 
ferings which it would otherwise have taken the mil- 
lions of the human race an eternity to endure. Who 



23 



then can calculate the greatness of redemption ? the 
greatness of infinite love ? or the greatness of those 
obligations, which that redemption and this love have 
laid us under ? 

« But how," it may be asked, e< could God, consist- 
ently with his justice, accept the innocent for the guil- 
ty ? I answer, God must in the abstract, either be 
able to pardon offenders, or he must not. If not, the 
power of man, who can forgive offences without be- 
coming unjust, although he has derived that power 
from God, must be greater than that of omnipotence, 
which it is absurd to suppose. God therefore must 
have the power consistently with his justice, of par- 
doning transgressors. Now if he can pardon trans- 
gressors, it must be either through a medium or with- 
out one. But if he can pardon without one, he must 
be able to pardon through one ; for it is an unques- 
tionable fact, that the introduction of a medium can 
never render that action unjust, which was just with- 
out it. The utmost that can be said is, that a medium 
is unnecessary ; but even if we admit it to be rnneces- 
sary this will not make it unjust. Now every moral 
action that is not unjust must coincide with justice; 
and every moral action that coincides with justice, 
must necessarily be just. If therefore, it be just in 
God, to shew mercy to offenders, it is just in him to 
accept the innocent in the room of the guilty ; and 
consequently, the objection against the justice of the 
action wholly disappears. 

But as it is not unjust in God, to accept the inno- 
cent in the room of the guilty, so neither can we rea- 
sonably conclude that a medium is unnecessary. We 
know that God must be infinitely wise, and it is de- 
monstrable, that as infinite wisdom can only do that 
which is good, it cannot do any thing which is wholly 
unnecessary. The same arguments therefore which 



c 24 

will prove the scriptures to be genuine, will also prove 
that a medium of reconciliation was absolutely needful. 
But 4 even if we set aside this argument, and view the 
question in the abstract, we shall not be led to a less 
favourable conclusion. 

To assert on the present occasion, that a medium is 
unnecessary, is to affirm that justice and mercy can be 
reconciled together without its intervention. It is to 
assert, that we are acquainted with all the possible 
forms in which infinite wisdom can be displayed ; that 
all the varieties of justice are placed within the reach 
©four finite comprehension; and that we are compe- 
tent to decide upon the moral economy of God. To 
this stupendous knowledge all must aspire, who con- 
tend that the deatli of Jesus was not necessary to 
make an expiation for the sins of mankind ; but to this 
knowledge none can justly make any pretensions. 

But it may perhaps be objected, that "since man 
can, on many occasions, pardon an offender without an 
expiation, we have no reason to believe an atonement 
to be necessary for the sins of mankind." To this it 
may be replied, 1, That the laws of all civil communi- 
ties are either more or less imperfect ; and therefore 
their precepts and prohibitions are not always the dic- 
tates of justice. 2. The evidence which convicts the 
culprit is frequently uncertain, and those who depend 
upon it cannot be sure that they will always do right, 
3c Many mitigating circumstances may sometimes be 
urged in favour of the offender, which will lessen his 
turpitude, if not render his guilt doubtful. The sen- 
tences of human tribunals are, therefore, not so much 
the decisions of justice, as they are of law. 4. The 
right one which man has over another is only relative | 
it is not absolute ; and, therefore, can never fully re- 
semble that of God. 5. As the want of absolute per- 
fection will always render us liable to error, man 



25 

might be guilty of a greater deviation from the prin- 
ciples of eternal justice, by demanding on all occa- 
sions an expiation as the medium of pardon, than by 
omitting it. 6. No comparison can be made between 
the violation of human and divine laws. 

But although these are the necessary consequences 
of our present condition, the result must be totally dis- 
tinct where finite imperfection does not exist. For 
-where the law is known to be founded upon the prin- 
ciples of immutable justice — were the evidence cannot 
be mistaken — where all circumstances are known—* 
where the fact is free from doubt—and the judge is ab- 
solutely perfect, it will be impossible for him to set 
aside the claims of justice, without reducing justice it- 
self to a mere arbitrary principle. God is this abso- 
lutely perfect being, who cannot act in opposition to 
the principles of eternal justice through ignorance, be- 
cause it is necessarily excluded from his nature, nor 
through design, because rectitude is essential to it. 

Since then, we have no reason to believe a medium 
to be unnecessary, and it can be proved, that it is per- 
fectly consistent with justice, w r e plainly perceive how 
God can be just, and yet the justifier of him that be- 
lieves in Jesus. Through his atonement we behold 
mercy and truth meeting together, and righteousness 
and peace kissing each other. And, in the harmony of 
both attributes, we behold with joy, the kingdom of hea- 
ven opened to all believers. Christ therefore is the way 
to happiness and God, through his atoning sacrifice. 

6. But Christ is also the w r ay through his example* 
"We have no time to examine with minuteness the va- 
rious particulars of his life and death. In every part 
which is imitable, he has left us an example that w T e 
should tread in his steps ; and it w ill be hard to select 
from his general character, an incident of universal 

.application, which does not claim universal admiration, 

4 



26 



In {lie conduct of Jesus we discover what a genuine 
Christian ought to be. Through the whole progress 
of his eventful life, he preserved an uniformity of cha- 
racter. No changes in circumstances wrought any 
change in him. He was the same person when sur- 
rounded by the hosannahs of the multitude, that he 
was when arraigned at Pilate's bar. On the former oc- 
casion he discovered no symptoms of ambition, and 
in the latter he betrayed no want of fortitude. It was 
the purity of his morals, the sublimity of his doctrines., 
the equanimity of his life, and the magnanimity of his 
death, that extorted from Rousseau, who will not be 
accused of being partial towards Christianity, the fol- 
lowing tribute of praise and admiration. 

66 1 will confess to you farther, that the majesty of 
the scriptures strikes me with admiration, as the pu- 
rity of the gospel hath its influence on my heart. Pe- 
ruse the works of our philosophers: with all their pomp 
of diction, how mean, how contemptible are they, corn- 
pared with the scriptures. Is it possible that a book 
at once so sublime and so simple, should be the work 
of man ? Is it possible that the sacred personage whose 
history it contains, should be himself a mere man ? Do 
We find that he assumed the air of an enthusiast, or 
ambitious sectary? What sweetness! What purity of 
manners ! What an affecting gracefulness in his delive- 
ry ! What sublimity in his maxims ! What profound 
wisdom in his discourses! What presence of mind ! 
What subtility ! What truth in his replies ! How great 
the command over his passions ! Where is the man j 
Where is the philosopher, who could so live and die 
without weakness, and without ostentation ? Shall we 
suppose the evangelical history to be a mere fiction ? 
Indeed my friend, it bears not the marks of fiction. On 
the contrary, the history of Socrates which nobody, 
presumes to doubt ; is not so well attested as that of 



27 

Jesus Christ. The Jewish authors were incapable of the 
diction, aud strangers to the morality contained in the 
gospel ; the marks of whose truth are so striking and 
invincible, that the inventor would be a more astonish- 
ing character than the hero. 5 ' Vol. V. page 215—218, 
In another place the same author adds, when ma- 
king a comparison between the Grecian philosopher 
and Jesus, ie It must be confessed, if Socrates died like 
a man, the son of Mary died like a God." Christ is 
therefore, from the testimony both of friends and ene- 
mies, the way through his example, both in life and 
death. 

7. But finally, lie is the way also through the influ- 
ences of his holy Spirit. Man by nature is a fallen 
creature, and spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. 
We are represented as having eyes but see not, ears 
but hear not, hearts but understand not. From the 
crown of the head to the sole of the foot, we are wounds 
and bruises, and putrifying sores. The whole head is 
sick, the whole heart is faint. All these expressions 
inform us, that in a spiritual sense, we are as destitute 
of life, as a human body is devoid of natural life, when 
the soul has departed from it. Now as a body that is 
literally dead cannot possibly reanimate itself, so a 
soul that is wholly depraved, cannot possibly renovate 
itself. To admit the former, is to suppose life to 
spring from death ; and to admit the latter, is to af- 
firm that purity may arise from pollution. In either 
case the effect must be without a cause. But since this 
is absolutely impossible, it follows, that all spiritual re- 
novation must arise from some cause that is foreign to 
human nature. 

It will hardly be denied, that all effects must coin- 
cide in nature with the causes that produce them. As, 
therefore, the renovation of the human heart, is an ef- 
fect which is excellent in its nature, it follows that the 



28 



cause from whence it springs, must necessarily be 
good. And, it is equally certain, that every good and 
perfect gift cometh down from the Father of right, 
with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning. 
Hence the renovation of the human heart must bo 
wholly ascribed to God. How this is to be effected, 
we can learn only from the doctrines of the gospel. 
Through these doctrines we are taught that it is the 
Spirit^of God that convinces the world of sin, of right- 
eousness, and of judgment. This conviction must bo 
internal. The heart is the seat of impurity, and this 
must be the seat of renovation ; and consequently, alt 
religion which falls short of this, is nothing more than 
idle speculation. 

But although the fact is certain, the manner in which 
the holy spirit operates, is wholly unknown. When 
our Lord conversed with Nicodemus on the nature of 
regeneration, that celebrated ruler asked — " How can 
these things be ?'* But instead of giving him a direct 
answer, Christ referred him for an illustration, in the 
following words, to an element with which he was con- 
versant. " The wind bloweth where it listeth, and 
thou nearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence 
it cometh and whither it goeth : so is every one that 
is born of the spirit." Now if we cannot comprehend 
the action of the wind, with which we are so familiar, 
liow can we expect to comprehend the manner of those 
things which are heavenly, spiritual and divine? 

But although the manner is unknown, the evidence 
of the fact is not less certain on this account. Like the 
blind man who was restored to sight, every converted 
soul may say — « This one thing I know, that " whereas 
I was blind, now r I see. 5 * A change takes place within. 
All the moral powers undergo an entire revolution. 
Kew views, new motives, new hopes, new desires, new 
aims,, and new objects^ row occupy the gouL A love 



of sin is succeeded by a love of righteousness : a 
hatred of God, gives place to an ardent affection to- 
wards him : and a sense of his displeasure is succeed- 
ed by a consciousness of his approbation, and of Christ 
in him the hope of glory. 

But perhaps it may be objected, that " Whatever 
conviction this internal consciousness of the divine fa- 
vour, may bring to the possessor of it, it can afford 
none to a spectator, who enquires for an assurance of 
its reality. Hence the objector may ask,-— " How 
shall I know that you have not imposed upon yourself, 
with the reveries of a warm imagination, and substitu- 
ted the effects of enthusiasm in the room of that inward 
sense of the divine favour, which you profess to enjoy t 
That such objections may he fairly made, I readily ad- 
mit ; and I should be ready to. acknowledge, if they 
admitted of no reply, that experimental religion would 
be clogged with a considerable difficulty. But these 
objections may be obviated with as much ease as they 
are started. 

The evidences of vital religion are of two kinds : the 
inward, or experimental ; and the outward, or practi- 
cal. These always go together ; and the former is no 
longer true, than while the latter accompanies it. Be- 
hold then some individual character who professes to bo 
born of God. Compare this man with what he was, 
some months, or perhaps only a few week since. Then 
he was a drunkard, now he is sober ; then he was a 
swearer, now his lips proclaim for God. Then ho 
hated the people, the ways, the ordinances, — and neg- 
lected the word of God ; but now he loves all, shuns 
every evil way, abandons his former companions, asso- 
ciates with all such as excel in virtue, walks in obe- 
dience to the commands of God, and seeks after a 
growing conformity to Christ, and a mcetness for eter* 
nal glory. 



30 



Here then is an evident change, nut merely in his 
profession, but in his life and actions. The internal 
part is hidden, but the external is open to popular ob- 
servation ; so that those who question his sincerity, 
are half inclined to say he hath been with Jesus. It 
is certain that this change must have arisen from some 
cause. It cannot be from corrupted nature, for we 
have already concluded, that nothing which is wholly 
polluted can renovate itself. It cannot be from a bad 
cause, for a bad cause cannot produce a good effect. 
It can then only arise from a good cause, and this will 
carry our views to God. If it should still be asserted, 
that all is nothing more than the result of enthusiasm ; 
the objector should beware, lest the charge of enthu- 
siasm be retorted on himself. If enthusiasm can pro- 
duce effects like these ; prudence, interest, reason with 
all that is valuable to man, should urge us to cherish, 
rather than suppress it. If this be all delusion, H what 
truth on earth so precious as the lie !" 

As the outward action cannot be controverted, we 
have all the evidence which reason can direct us to ex- 
pect, that it springs from that inward principle which 
he professes to enjoy. It is from this sacred princi- 
ple a that practical godliness always flows. Every 
professor is therefore worthy of credit, when he has 
his fruit unto holiness j and of all such the end shall 
he everlasting life. 

We must not however conclude, that either our in- 
ward experience, or our outward conformity to the 
Jaw of God, or both together, can procure for us a title 
to heaven. This arises solely from the mercy of God, 
through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. 
The title is bestowed upon us ; experimental religion is 
wrought within us ; and practical godliness flows from 
it. The merits of Christ alone procure the former, for 
all who have genuine faith in him 5 and all religion 



I 



m 0- 

that is experimental and practical, constitutes a quali- 
fication for the heavenly inheritance. Both the title 
and the qualification, are essentially necessary to form 
the christian character ; and whosoever is found des- 
titute of either, cannot inherit the kingdom of God a 
To separate them from each other, is however, abso- 
lutely impossible. Wherever this is a title, it leads to 
a qualification, with as much certainty as light and 
heat proceed from the sun when it shines. And he 
who professes to have a title to heaven, while he is des- 
titute of all qualification for it, has substituted Antino- 
mian credulity in the room of christian faith. Christ* 
who is the way to the Father, is only so through sane- 
tification of the spirit and belief of the truth. 

But Christ who is the way, declares himself also to 
he the truth." It would seem from this expression, 
as though truth itself were embodied in his person. 
And no doubt can be entertained, that truth is essential 
to his nature. We have already concluded that Christ 
is God, and as such he must be perfect. Now a per- 
fect being cannot err; and he who cannot err, can 
neither do nor say any thing that is w rong ; and con- 
sequently, he can find neither inducement nor occasion 
to falsify his word. Truth therefore must be essen- 
tial to the nature of that being who cannot possibly 
deviate from it. 

But he is also the truth, as he stands contrasted with 
the ceremonies of the ancient Jewish ritual. They 
were types ; he is the antitype. They were shadows 
of good things to come ; he is the substance. They 
were allusive ; he is the reality. They excited expec- 
tation ; but he has gratified the wishes of all who wait- 
ed for his coming. If therefore Christ be not God, he 
must have been an impostor^ and if ha be an impbster, 
the Bible is a cheat. 

He is likewise the truth; in opposition to all the fab- 



32 



ulous deities of the pantheon. These were at best 
nothing more than 

" Gods hateful, changeful, passionate, unjust, 
Whose attributes were rage, revenge or lust." 

And if we view them on the darker side, they were 
imaginary instruments in the hands of infernal agents, 
who introduced them to deceive the ungodly nations 
of the earth. It would be degrading to the character 
of Christ, to make a comparison between him and them. 
Comparison implies resemblance, and resemblance 
implies likeness, and similitude, in some respect or 
other ; but nothing of this can here be supposed to ex- 
ist, because he is essential truth, and they were em- 
bodied falsehood. We may nevertheless introduce 
both, in order to mark the contrast between him and 
them ; for they hold just the same rank with regard 
to him, that darkness does with respect to light. In 
neither case is there any similitude, but in both instan- 
ces, the contrast causes the reality to appear with an 
additional lustre. 

Finally, he is the truth, in opposition to those im- 
postors, who have contrived to raise themselves a name 
among mankind, in all ages of the world. He is the 
truth when contrasted with Zoroaster, Brama, Confu- 
cius, and Mahommed. Fraud and force were ainong 
the stratagems and engines which they employed, 
while they pretended to act under a commission from 
heaven. But neither art nor power has been sufficient 
to conceal the imposition. Christ on the contrary 
made his appearance when arts and learning were at 
their height. No frand^ no force was ever employed 
by him ; and yet, in opposition to every hostility, his 
doctrines and precepts, though mortifying to human 
pride, and contrary to the expectations of mankind, 
not only found their way to the hearts of men, but fi- 
nally subverted the established superstitions of the 
people although they had been rendered venerable 



33 



through age, and had acquired "dignity from common 
sanction ;-thus introducing a moral revolution through- 
out the Roman empire. To what can this amazing ef- 
fect be attributed, but to the invincible force of truth, 
accompanied by the mighty power of God ? The instru- 
ments which were employed, were in themselves in- 
sufficient for the purpose; the means were inadequate; 
and yet the effect was produced. A more powerful 
agent than we discover in natural causes, must there- 
fore have been at work ; or Christianity, instead of at- 
taining its present eminence, would have been buried 
in its own insignificance. 

But the evidences of Christ's divinity, and of his 
being the truth, become blended in the miracles which 
he performed. To animadvert on all, would be an end- 
less task. Let us fix on that by whirh Lazarus was 
raised from the dead, the particulars of which are re- 
corded in the 11th chapter of St. John. The death and 
burial of this man are not to be questioned. Christ 
was at a distance when these events took place. Yet 
without receiving any information on the subject, he 
was well acquainted with the whole affair. On his 
arrival, he found the house filled with a mixed compa- 
ny, among whom were many Jews, who were his in- 
veterate enemies. No sooner had the friends of the 
deceased related to him the circumstances of his death, 
than he hastened in company with them to the grave 
where Lazarus lay. On arriving thither he cried with 
a loud voice, in the midst of the surrounding multitude, 
* c Lazarus come forth." In consequence of this call, 
the dead man became reanimated ; obeyed his voice ; 
left the tomb ; and returned with them to his former 
habitation. This was a miracle which took place 
amidst a multitude of friends and foes ; and no one,, 
either present or absent, ever presumed to question its 
reality. 



34 



On this extraordinary e\ent, permit me to state a 
few plain propositions. If Christ had been an impos- 
tor he must have known it. If he knew it, prudence., 
interest, ambition*- hope, and fear, would have urged 
liim to conceal it. In order to conceal the fraud, he 
must have avoided every thing which was likely to 
lead to a detection. Nothing could be more likely to 
lead to a detection, than his making an attempt to re- 
store a dead man to life. We find however that he 
made the experiment, and that success attended his ef- 
forts. We may infer from hence, that he was not an 
hnposteiv If not an imposter, he was not a deceiver y 
and if not a deceiver, all his threatnings* all his promi- 
ses to mankind, and all his declarations respecting him- 
self, are necessarily true. Confining our observations 
to the latter, we find him appealing to his works, and 
declaring that these bear witness of Mm. Against 
this appeal no plausible objection can be raised. His 
character ensures the truth of his declarations ; and 
the works to which he directs us, furnish a proof, in- 
dependantly of all other authority, that he and his 
Father are one. (John x. 30.) That he had power of 
himself to lay down his human life, and power to take 
it up again 5 that he is the light of the world ; and 
that he is the true Messiah, he has not hesitated i# 
plain language to declare, Indubitable facts have veri- 
fied all his declaratiofts, and incontestably proved that 
in him dwelt' all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 
Hence, it once more appears, from his character, from 
his language, and from his works, that he was divine,, 
and if divine, that he was God. 

But there'is another feature of the Saviour's charac- 
ter, which yet remains to be examined. In this, his 1 
own language and that of St. John perfectly coincide. 
The former says, "I am the life/' and the latter af 
firms, that Si In him was life.'* 



35 



If the scriptures are true, they must have come from 
God ; and coming from him, they must have heen dic- 
tated by infinite wisdom. Now that which is dictated 
by infinite wisdom, must be exempt from-all mixture 
of error and folly; and consequently, the language of 
scripture must have a meaning worthy of its inspiring 
author. Taking this principle for our guide on the 
present occasion, we cannot reasonably suppose, that 
nothing more * r as meant by Christ, than that he \Vas 
really endued with animation, or that he was merely 
alive, when he imparted this information to Thomas* 
Infinite wisdom can never be employed in imparting 
unnecessary knowledge. Neither can we conceive 
that St. John, after having asserted the eternity of the 
"Word, his omnipotence, his co-essentiality with God^ 
and having ascribed creation to him, would gravely 
come forward to inform the world, that this extraordi- 
nary personage was actually living, and not dead 
when he performed his amazing works. Such con- 
temptible trilling would have covered the solemnity 
of his former arguments with an air of ridicule, and 
turned the whole into a jest. 

Nor can we conceive that it would be more consist- 
ent with the dignity of his subject, and the nature of 
his argument, if the apostle had asserted', that the life 
which was in Christ, resembled the life of mortals,, 
either in its nature or its source. Neither can we 
reasonably suppose, that the language of Christ can be 
liable to such a construction ; since he has positively 
affirmed, that he had power to lay it down, and power 
to take it up again* These are prerogatives which be- 
long not to the empire of mortality ; and if so he to 
'whom they are applicable must be more than man. 

The life which was in Christ, when contemplated 
in its most exalted nature, must be pure, essential, and 
MernaL It must be umlenved $ for nothing can fee 



86 



eternal, that is derived from any preceding fountain, 
or antecedent source. It must be independent ; for 
nothing can be dependent that is underived. It must 
be incommunicable ; for life that is underived, inde- 
pendent, and eternal, cannot be capable of communica- 
tion. Whatever is communicated, must have a begin- 
ning, with respect to him who receives it ; and what- 
ever has a beginning, can neither be independent, nor 
absolutely eternal. An underived or independent life, 
that is communicated, is therefore little less than a 
contradiction in terms. 

That pure, essential, and independent life, should 
fee ascribable to Christ, is a necessary consequence of 
2iis eternal existence. A Being who has existed from 
eternity, can have no beginning ; and he who has no 
beginning, can have derived nothing from another ; 
and he who has derived nothing from another, must 
fee absolutely independent. When therefore, we ad- 
mit the eternal existence of Christ, we necessarily ad- 
mit that essential life is included in his essence, and 
that it must necessarily remain inseparable from him 
for ever. 

Life, in every light in which it may be viewed, is 
simply a perfection ; and it necessarily implies some 
substance in which it must inhere ; because no simple 
perfection is capable of an abstract existence, Life, 
therefore, although it be eternal, demonstrates the ex- 
istence of some substance of which it is an essential 
property. The language of St. John is therefore not 
less philosophical than it is authoritative,, when he de- 
clares that " In him was life." 

I might here, if it were necessary, avail myself of 
the grammatical construction of the sentence, the 
words of which will for ever pre-suppose eternity. On 
whatever ground we take our stand 5 " In him was life 5 ■ 



37 



is an expression which conveys an idea that will al- 
ways precede it. If we pause on the margin of crea- 
tion, or fix our thoughts on the commencement of the 
first moment, the life which "was in him" must be 
allowed to be pre-existent. And if we attempt to en- 
ter the vast region of eternity, and propose the ques- 
tion respecting his existence in this incomprehensible 
light, the answer « In him was life" will still direct 
us through antecedent centuries of imagination, or in- 
describable realities, in which we may wander for ever, 
without the possibility of gaining a commencement to 
this life which was in him. 

I have said that 1 might avail myself of an argument 
thus derived from the eternity of this expression ; but 
no more advantage would result from it, than if the 
verb had been used in the present tense. In relation 
to every thing that is eternal, is and was are terms of 
the same import ; because past and present are dis- 
tinctions which can then have no existence. That 
which was with regard to us, simply is if it be eternal, 
With regard to him ; and in this state of immutability 
it must remain forever- Hence, that life which is in 
Christ, is not contingent ; it is not adventitious ; it 
is necessary j it is essential to his divine nature ; and 
inseparable from him who is one substance with the 
Father. It is in this sublime, this exalted, this pri- 
mary sense, that Jesus is " the life." 

We may view this expression in still another lights 
and then it will appear, that in him was the source 
of communicative life. No imparted life is in exist- 
ence, that has not been derived from him ; nor shall 
any life exist hereafter, that will not flow from the 
same source. If we descend to vegetable life, even 
this has been bestowed by him ; and if we ascend 
through the various gradations of animal, of rational 
oi moral; of intellectual, of spiritual, or even of etej?« 



38 

nal life, which is the gift of God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ, in him is the fountain and source of all. 
He is the life of angels, and of the spirits of just men 
made perfect ; he is the light and life of the world, and 
of all its inhabitants ; he is the life of the soul when it 
is horn of God ; "and will be the unexhausted fountain 
of its life and happiness for ever. 

But although a life which shall never end, may be 
bestowed by omnipotent power, and infinite goodness, 
it does not follow, that even God himself can bestow or 
communicate any life which never had a beginning ; 
and no life can be absolutely and essentially eternal;, 
that is not as necessarily removed from a beginning 
as it is from an end. Hence the life which is in Christ, 
and is constituted by him, is totally distinct from that 
which angelic natures, or disembodied spirits enjoy. 
Their lives pre-su ppose the existence of his : their na- 
tures imply a beginning ; and these must ultimately 
depend upon him, without whom nothing was made 
that was made 

No being can impart a greater -degree of perfection 
than it possesses ; and an infinite being cannot impart 
so much. He cannot impart eternity, omnipotence, 
independence, or underived existence. But although 
an infinite being cannot impart all his perfections, he 
may impart certain degrees of perfection which are 
less ; and consequently, there is nothing absurd, hi 
attributing the most diminutive perfection in existence, 
to the power of him who is the life of all. 

As Christ is the only source of life, all spiritual life 
must be derived from him, as well as that which is in- 
tellectual and eternal. A life that is spiritual and 
holy, must either be inherent in man, or it must flow 
from an external source that is both spiritual and holy ; 
and this can be found no where but in God. We know 
from melancholy experience, that this spiritual ant! 



39 



holy principle of life, is not naturally inherent in our- 
selves ; the wickedness which prevails, and the corrup- 
tions of our own hearts, awfully prove the contrary. 
It therefore follows, that this must come from him 
who is the only fountain of all. Nevertheless, this 
spiritual life must inherit the hosom of its possessor, 
or it can have no existence whatever. It is not of a 
speculative kind ; and therefore it can only be realized 
by experience. It is enjoyed by thousands; it is the 
root from whence all the fruits of the spirit grow ; it 
Is the earnest of the christian's future inheritance, and* 
his conscious pledge of the divine approbation* 

It is from this spiritual life, which must be cherish- 
ed in the sou), that eternal existence derives its value. 
Without felicity which shall be commensurate with it, 
eternal life or existence becomes a curse, and is big 
with greater horrors than absolute non-existence. But 
Where there is no internal spiritual life realized in the 
soul in time, there can be no hope of happiness in 
eternity. Hence, spiritual life is productive of all 
that is valuable in immortality and eternity ; it is ne- 
cessary to ensure it : and its importance can only be 
measured by that felicity which shall never end. 

But we are not only taught to view Christ as the 
way, the truth, and the life ; he is presented Jo us as 
being exclusively so, even by himself." *< No man 
cometh unto the Father but by me." 

There is no light in which we can view Christ, in 
which his character will not appear peculiarly singu- 
lar. If we view him as the Word, he stands alone in 
person, though he is of one substance with the Father. 
If we view him in his incarnate state, he is without a 
rival, and without an exemplar. In his life and in 
his death, in his resurrection and ascension into glory, 
his character stands alone, without bearing any resem- 
blance to that of any other being, either in earth or 
heaven, in time or in eternity, 



40 



If we (urn from the personal character of Christ; 
to look at the offices which he sustained, the same 
singularity will appear. He is the only mediator be- 
tween God and man. No being in earth or heaven, 
comprises in himself, the necessary qualification for 
this important undertaking, but Christ alone. Both 
God and man were concerned in the important issue ; 
and both natures, the divine and human, were united 
in his august person. Without a medium of recon- 
ciliation, justice and mercy could not concur in one 
harmonious operation ; and nothing short of those 
qualifications which he possessed, could accomplish 
their mutual concurrence. To become our substitute, 
it was necessary that he should be man ; and to give 
his undertaking efiicacy, it was necessary that he 
should be God. This union of nature is no where to 
he found but in Christ. Hence, as no being besides 
himself, could satisfy the claims of justice, or render 
God accessible to mortals, it is demonstrable that no 
man can come unto the Father but by him. 

Nor is any other way to the Father necessary. 
Christ is all sufficient in his nature, his character, and 
his offices. In his nature, he is adequate because di- 
vine, and suitable because he is human. In his char- 
acter he was made sin for us who knew no sin, that 
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 
He satisfied the claims of justice, that mercy might 
operate ; procured salvation for all mankind by his 
precious blood ; and opened the kingdom of heaven to 
all believers. As king, he has established the most salu- 
tary laws ; and as prophet he instructs us upon what 
principle it is our duty and interest to obey them. 
In his spiritual kingdom, he reigns in every believer's 
heart, and receives that willing obedience, homage, and 
adoration, which his subjects render to him, from a 
principle of grateful love. It is affection and not ter- 
ror which binds them to his sacred throne. 



41 



A sacred being, who thus unites in one person, a na- 
ture which is at once divine and human, and who con- 
centrates in that person, the distinct characters of ' 
Prophet, Priest, King and Saviour; who externally 
humbled himself unto death, even to the death of the 
cross ; and who internally sits spiritually enthroned 
in the affections of every true believer, cannot possi- 
bly have any rival in our cool, dispassionate, and con- 
scientious judgments. In all these views he can want 
nothing to render him truly desirable ; because he is 
the fairest among ten thousand, and the altogether 
lovely. 

It is this intrinsic excellence which renders him so 
truly worthy of our most unbounded confidence. Faith 
in him is therefore not more a duty than it is a privi- 
lege ; and it is not more of either, than it is the natu- 
ral offspring of our having proper views of Christ. 
Who, that has proper views of his nature, can doubt 
the ability of this Saviour ? or who, that reflects on 
the many splendid proofs which he has given of his 
Jove, can doubt of his sincerity ? and who can dismiss 
all his doubts, without having genuine faith ? Faith 
must necessarily shine, in proportion as doubts disap- 
pear. Or rather when faith begins to dawn, doubts 
begin to weaken, and these decline as faith increases ; 
so that doubts wholly subside, when faith fully estab- 
lishes its empire in the soul. Like light which can 
alone supplant darkness, faith becomes triumphant, as 
it causes our doubts to retire. They stand as toe re- 
verse of each other. Faith cannot enter where doubts 
wholly preside ; nor doubts prevail where faith holds 
the dominion. And on the same principle, as the in- 
troduction of doubt is destructive to faith, so the intro- 
duction of faith must prove destructive to its vanquish- 
ed rival. 

But the condescension of Cttrcs* is equal to his love: 

6 



42 

and all sufficiency as a Saviour. It was great conde- 
scension in him to create a world; it was greater to 
redeem ; and it is still greater to justify the ungodly, 
and visit that man who is humble, of a contrite spirit, 
and that trembles at his word. Above all, it is super- 
latively great to purify a polluted heart, to cleanse it' 
from all unrighteousness, to qualify it for heaven, and 
then to reward it with eternal glory. It is this amaz- 
ing condescension, which renders the Saviour so ami- 
ahle and so alluring. In every part of his conduct; 
toward mankind, we perceive that love which is 
stronger than death ; and all the branches of his cha- 
racter unite together, to excite within our bosoms, a 
sensibility of his compassion, and a principle of grate- 
ful return. 

That Christ, when we consider his nature charac- 
ter, and undertaking, should do less than he has done, 
can hardly be conceived, for less than this would have 
been insufficient Ibr our salvation ; and that he should' 
do more, could not be reasonably expected, because 
more Would be unnecessary. All things therefore are 
now ready ; nothing is deficient f nothing is redund- 
ant. His character is developed ; his atonement i3 
made ; his justice is satisfied ; his mercy is extended 
towards us ; his gospel is preached ; his arms are 
open to receive sinners ; his salvation is offered tor 
mankind ; and he now waits our acceptance of 
his great salvation. Reason, revelation, danger, duty, 
interest, and gratitude, call upon us to turn unto God, 
and those to whom these powerful motives plead in 
vain, will not be persuaded, though one were to rise 
tvjm the dead, 



THE 



43 

B, PEN TON 

BOOK-SELLER 8c S TA FIONER Two doors above Mr, 

W. P. Hunt's Store Warren Street Trenton. N. J. 

EVER grateful to his friends and the public for past 
favours in the line of his business, takes this method 
respectfully to inform them, that he keeps constantly on 
hand for sale — A general assortment of 

In the various departments of LITERATURE, and that he 
is almost daily augmenting his Stock with the most valuable 

ORIGINAL WORKS, 

THAT ARE PUBLISHED IN AMERICA. 

FOREIGN BOOKS will be procured at the request of the ap» 
plicant. 

His intercourse with New- York, Boston and Philadelphia, 
and elsewhere, will enable him to supply on the best term*; 
any books in the United States. 

He is also agent, for the sale of a variety of valuable 
FAMILY PATENT MEDICINES. 

He has also always on hand a good assortment of 

STATIONARY, PAKTCY, & OTHER ARTICLES* 
SUCH AS 

Ledgers, Day, Receipt, Cyphering SflCopy Books, 
Foolscap, Letter and rapping Paper, §*c. by 
the Ream, quire or sheet— Paints in boxes, 
and otherwise, 

A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF 
camels hair Pencils — Black-lead and other Pen- 
cils — Slates — Superior Ink £f Ink Powder— 
Durable Ink for marking Linen. — Parch, 
men t — Dra wi ng Paper of variou s sizes — 
Hanging paper — Pocket Books — Combs 
of various kinds — Penknives-~Rice 
paper- Gunter's Scales-Mathe- 
matical Instruments in cases~ 
Dividers, 8[c. 

Professional and Private Gentlemen, Teachers of Schools, 
Country Merchants, and the Directors of Libraries, will be 
allowed a liberal dis count. 



44 



PERIODICAL WORKS. 

I). FENTON. is agent for the Sale and drcfa 
lotion of the fallowing interesting Works, viz : — 

The American Farmer — the Un.red States Literary Gaze v ~ . 
The North American Review,— The Medico Chirurgical Re- 
view,— The Edinburgh Review and Critical Journal,— The Quar- 
terly Review,— Medical Review, and Analytical Journal,— Chap- 
man's Medical Journal.— Price each five dollars per annum. — Sil- 
liman's American Journal of Science and the Arts —The New 
Monthly Magazine, and Literary Journal — Museum, oi Foreign 
Literature and Science.— Each Six dollars per annum— The 
Christian Spectator, $3 per annum —The Christian Advocate, 
$3 per annum.— The New- York Monthly Chronicle oi Medi- 
cine and Surgery, $2 per annum — The Methodist Magazine, 
$1 50 per annum.— Youth's Guardian and Instructor, gl, — The 
American Journal, &c. 82 50, in advance. — The Garland. 

V&LUABIiXS "BOOKS— -Published by D. FEJVTOJV. 
A HANDSOME edition of the HOLY BIBLE, in quar- 
to ; which contains the Old and New Testaments, 
Apocrypha, Brown's copious Concordance, a valuable fami- 
ly Record, an animated view of the Christian Religion, a 
table of the Scripture Weights, Measures, and Coins, copi- 
ous Marginal References, fyc. &c. ; and is embellished with 
twenty-five Maps and elegant historical Engravings. Price 
bound in sheep, $10. In calf $11 50. 

KIMPTON'S HISTORY of the HOLY BIBLE, from the 
Creation of the world, to the full establishment of Christiani- 
ty, by our blessed Lord and Saviour, and his holy Apostles, 
Evangelists, Disciples, #c. 4 volumes. $12. 

DISCOURSES on the JOYS or SORROWS of departed 
SOULS at DEATH, and the Glory or Terror of the Resur- 
rection, &c. By Isaac Watts, D. D. 2 volumes. g5. 

The SECOND ADVENT, or coming of the MESSIAH 
in GLORY, shown to be Scripture doctrine, and taught by 
Divine revelation from the beginning of the World, By an 
American Layman. 1 vol. 

A STAR in the WEST ; or a humble attempt to discover the 
long lost ten tribes of Israel ; preparatory to their return to their 
beloved city Jerusalem. By Elias Boudinot, L. L. D. President 
of the American Bible Society. 1 volume. 

The NEW-JERSEY PREACHER ; or Sermons on plain and 
practical subjects. By some of the Ministers of the Gospel in 
the state of New- Jersey. 1 vol. 

LECTURES, Corrected and Improved ; which have been 
delivered for a series of years, in the College of New-Jersey ; 
on the subjects of Moral and Political Philosophy. 2 volumes. 

THE AMERICAN ORATOR : comprising an extensive col- 
lection of Extracts principally from American authors. By J. P. 
Slack, English teacher in the University of Pennsylvania." 



45 



A COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY, containing besides 
the matter usual in such works, a short system of Sacred Geog- 
raphy, intended to aid the young in acquiring a knowledge of the 
plages mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. To which is added an 
Introduction to the study of Astronomy ; designed for the use of 
schools. By the Rev. J. C. Rudd. Price 75 cents. 

The PRIVATE INSTRUCTOR and Young Gentleman's 
Pocket Companion, comprising every thing necessary in Arith- 
metic, Mensuration, Gauging, Book-Keeping, and conveyanc- 
ing. By J. Blake of New- Jersey. 88 cents. 

The NEW-BRUNSWICK COLLECTION of Sacred Mil- 
sic ; being a choice selection ot Tunes, for the use of Churches > 
from the most celebrated autho* f 75 cents. 

The DOCTRINE of the PASSIONS. By Isaac Watts, D, D, 
75 cents. 

LE I i 'ERS on COURTSHIP and MARRIAGE, By various 
authors. Price 63 cents. 

ORATIO IN AUGUR ALIS : and an ORATION on the 

DEA ! H cf General GEORGE WASHING I ON. By Samuel 
S. Smith, D. D. Elegantly printed, bound and gilt. $ 1 25. 

The IMMOR ' AL MEN r OR : or MAN'S unerring wisdom 
to a Healthy, Wealthy, and Happy Life. 



B s FHlSTTOBfj has a iways on hand for Sale a gene- 
ral assortment of B©0I£B * n various departments of 
Literature. Elementary Books, in English, Latin, Greek, 
Hebrew and French, adapted to the use of CollegeSj Acade, 
mies and common Schools ; at wholesale and retail. 
Jlmong which are the following : viz. 

FAMILY BIBLES in quarto and octavo, at different prices. 
POCKE I? Do and i ESTAMEN i S. 

COMLEY'S, Pierce's, Webster's, Barry's, Woods, Picket's 

Jones's, Torry's, and other Spelling Books. 
BENNETT'S, Pike's, Smiley's and Jess's Arithmetic's, with 

Keys to each. 
AMERICAN utor's Assistant, with key to do. 
LEWTS' Arithmetic in two parts. 

GEOGRAPHIES ; By Worcester, Morse, Adams, dimming?, 
Gummere, Woodbridge and others, with Atlass's adapted to 
them. 

Ainsworth's and Entick's Latin Dictionaries, 



Virgil Delfihini % 
Horace ditto, 
Hutchinson's Xeno/ihon, 
Clarks Ceascr>\ 
Selects Profanis, 
Vivi Romae, 
Tift JLivi, 

LATIN GRAMMAR' Shy several Authors 



J\ugents French Dictionary, 
Perrin's French Grammar , 
French Inter jn eter t 
Ditto Exercises, 
Ditto Fables, 
Lebruns Telemaque, 



4d 



foreek Reeder ; by F. Jacobus — Graeca Minora. By A. Dalzel, 
Greca Majora ; by same author, 
Greek Lexicon. 

Greek Testament ; by Griesbach. 

Do. Do. by Leusden. 

Do. Grammar ; by Butman & others. 

He has also on hand a good assortment of Stationary and other 
articles, viz : 

Pocket Maps of the United States. 

Do. Do. of the different states. 

Finley's new and beautiful Map of the U. S. large, $8. 

Atlas' Ancient and Modern — $13 50. 

Slates and Slate pencils. 

Rice papeiv 

A handsome assortment of Pocket Books* 
Travelling Desk's, with good locks. 

A good assortment of Ostornes superior water colours, warrant 

ed equal to any imported. 
Clarified and common quills of good quality. 
Spectacles with silver and steel Temples. 
Silver and plated pencil cases. 
Indian Ink. 

JUSTICES and other BLANKS, &x. &c. 

Just received a handsome assortment of 

4, 5 & 6 quire Ledger's and Day Books neatly bound and lettered, 
good paper. 

1, 2 & 3 quire Ledger's and Day Books, also 1 quire quarto Blank 
books half bound. 

Just published by B. FENTON, 

Price neatly bound and lettered 75 cents. A handsome edition fif 
that invaluable work-^-The Life of God in the Soul of Man — by 
Henry Scougal, Professor of Divinity in the University of Aber- 
deen. To which is prefixed a short memoir of the Author. 

Also — Rules for a Holy Life ; by Archbishop Leighton. 

EE COMMEND A TIOJV. 

The life of God in the soul of man by Scougal, is a little 
work of uncommon excellence. It would be difficult to mention 
a book, which in the same limits, gives so just and full an exhibi- 
tion of genuine piety. The style is neat and perspicuous, and 
possesses, in a high degree, that quality (not easily described) by 
which it penetrates, and warms and soothes the heart. There is 
nothing in this work which is not adapted to the truly pious ot 
every denomination ; and while it will be found useful to the 
young christian, it will be peculiarly edifying and pleasing to those 
who have had longer experience. 

A. ALEXANDER, (D. D. Professor of Didactic Iff Polemic 
Theology.) 

SAMUEL MILLER, (D. D. Professer of Ecclesiastical His- 
tory and Church Government tn the Theological Seminary 
at Princeton N. Jersey.) 

Also- — Recently published by D. F. Price $1 25. A neat Edition 
in 12 mo. of that excellent work — Natural Theolgy ; or Eviden- 
ces of the Existence and Attributes of the DEI VY. collected 
from the appearances of Nature, By William Paley, D.D. Arch* 

4eacon of Carlisle; 



47 



RECOMMENDATIONS 

SIR — We learn with pleasure that you think of of- 
fering to the public a new and neat edition of Paley's 
Natural Theology. We heartily wish you success in 
your undertaking. This work is so excellent, so well 
known, audits merit so generally acknowledged, that 
we take for granted, you cannot fail of finding a 
certain, if not a ready market, for a good edition of it. 
In accomplishing this, you will not only promote your 
own advantage, but you will also render a valuable 
service to the students of our Colleges and Theological 
Seminaries, to Ministers of the gospel and indeed to all 
who wish for an opportunity of reading a remarkably 
judicious, lucid, and instructive manual on the subject 
of which it treats. 

Yours Respectfully, 

SAMUEL MILLER, (D. D.) 

Professor of -Ecclesiastical History and Church Government in 
the Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church in the 
United Slates, at Princeton.) 

ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER, (D. D) 

( Professor of Didactic and Polemic Theology .) 

HENRY HOLCOMBE, D. D. 

Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia. 

MR. BROADHEAD, D. D. 

Pastor of the Dutch Reformed Presbyterian Church of Philad. 

THOMAS DUNN, M. D, 

of Philadelphia. 

To recommend Dr. Paley's Natural Theology, to 
those who have read it, Would be unnecessary ; as they 
have learned to associate the ideas of utility and excel- 
lence with this treatise. But if I can induce any who 
have not read it, to procure this work and give it a 
careful reading ; by any recommendation that I may 
give. I will do it the more cheerfully, inasmuch as I 
am convinced that it is calculated to benefit believers 
and unbelievers — the former will at least be more fully 
established in the truth of what they already believe, 
and have a deeper impression of the evidences by which 
it is supported — and thus feel the foundation on which 
they rest — the latter may have some of their difficulties 
removed, the gloom of scepticism that pervades their 
understandings dispelled, and the cheering doctrine of 
divine providence engraven on their hearts. 

I do therefore most cordially recommend it to the 
pious of all religious denominations ; being one of 



0 020 517 330 



those choice hooks that may he read without offence*, 
and with interest and profit by all. 
Yours in the hest of Bonds, 

JOSEPH LYBRAND, 

C Pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Trenton. ) 

SIR — Paicy's Natural Theology, has ever been 
deemed by the philosopher, and the christian a produc- 
tion eminently calculated to gratify the researches of 
the former, and to kindle in the latter the pure flames 
of devotion, to the great author of nature. It opens a 
world of wonders, of which many regions had heen 
hitherto unexplored, and directs each discovery to the 
improvement of the heart, and to the elevation of the 
mind— to the source of all existence, and of coupe to 
that profound veneration, and final love, which are due 
from every intelligent creature to the Almighty and 
Benevolent Creator. Every friend to genuine science 
and solid piety would rejoice to find this masterly per- 
formance in general circulation. 
Yours respectfully, 

CHARLi S ii. WHARTON, I). D. 

Rector of St. Mary** Church at Bur in gt on. A ew- Jersey. 
SIR — Arch deacon Paley is so eminent for his great 
talents, particularly solid judgment, rich imagination, 
and ehgance of composition, that I heartily concur in 
the above recommendation of his work. 
Yours respectfully, 

WM. L. JOHNSON, 

Rector of St. Michael's Church , Trenton* 

1>. F. will publish in a few days, a second edition of 
ARITHMETICAL TABLES, for the use of schools, 
most of which must necessarily be committed to memo- 
ry, previous to the study of Arithmetic. 

Orders for any of the books, or other articles above 
named, as also for any articles in my line of business, 
will be thankfully ^received and promptly executed on 
liberal terms. D. F. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




0 020 517 330 4 



